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Empyran Pantheon
The Empyran Pantheon is a Human Empire located within the Veiled Region, which managed to survive the events of the Great Crusade and is now spreading outwards from the Epyran Sector. Having only recently emerged into the galaxy at large, and has proved itself to be a threat. Governed by a brutal religious dictatorship, and ruled by the self-styled "God-King" of Empyran and his Immortals, the Pantheon is dead set on becoming a galactic power, and will walk over mountains of corpses to become such. History Birth of a God It was during the Dark Age of Technology when a group of scientist set out from Old Earth, entering the area of space now known as the Veiled Region. Why exactly they traveled their was unknown, but their purpose was one of grand intentions. Simply put, they aspired to create a perfect human being. Landing on the planet known now as Empyran, the scientists set up shop, building a laboratory. It was their that they conducted their experiments on the human genome. But, their experiments always ended up in the same way; failure. However, the scientists never gave up on their hope, and for decades they continued their experiments. Eventually, the scientists created their own civilization of humans, forever awaiting they coming of "Deliverance Day", when their leaders, the ancestors of the scientists that first landed on Empyran, would finally create a God to lead them into a golden age. Then, the warp storms hit, cutting off Empyran from the rest of the Galaxy, and yet still the scientists toiled. It was the nature of the warp storms that they found to be key to their success, for by studying the warp, and it's ability to create and destroy matter almost instantly, that seemingly solved their problem. A child, a single perfect child, was birthed from their research. The people of Empyran rejoiced, for Deliverance Day was upon them, and their God had been born. Little did they know, they had not created a God, they had created a monster. Rise of the God-King The child grew quickly, reaching full maturity in just a decade. But, what the Empyran people did not realize, is that their God planned to enslave them all. Their miracle child, birthed from the hubris of men and the corrupt nature of the Warp, may have been perfect of body but not of mind. Having been raised with the full knowledge of his superiority, the God-Child did not see loyal subjects in the people of Empyran, but bleating sheep that he would be all to happy to throw to the wolves. He saw himself as a God, he he would rule as such. One night, the God-Child sought out the leaders of Empyran, and slaughtered them. Addressing the Empyran People, the God-Child, now the self-proclaimed God-King, told them of his dream of conquest, how the Empyran People would become masters of the Galaxy, and he their God. The people eagerly conformed to his new regime, for they truly believed him to be divine, and so their conquest began. Using the gene-crafting technology of the first scientists who created him, the God-King made armies of cloned soldiers, vat-bred monsters, and gene-crafted beast of war, creating the first Empyran Army. They attacked all other planets within their reach, slaughtering all, both human and xenos, that would not convert to the worship of and pledge their obedience to their beloved God-King. Soon, the God-King controlled his entire Sector, but he wanted more. He cast his gaze to the planets bordering the Veiled Region, and they fell as well. It seemed nothing could stand before him. The Great Crusade It was during all this time when the Emperor had launched his Great Crusade throughout the galaxy, and so it was that the God-King's expansion came to a halt. It was the Imperial Fists Space Marine Legion, led by their Primarch Rogal Dorn, that stemmed the tide of Empyran. Their armies, as vast as they were, could not stand against the might of the Space Marines, and thus their expansion ground to a screeching halt. The God-King sent his innumerable armies against the Space Marines, but they simply rebounded off the impenetrable defense of the Imperial Fists. Likewise, the Imperial Fists had to wade through the sheer numbers of the God-King's vat-bred soldiers, slowing their advance considerably, and thus the war lasted decades. During this time Rogal Dorn actually fought the God-King, and while Dorn emerged victorious, the God-King didn't die, although he was severely wounded. In order to heal, he placed himself inside stasis pod, to be awoken when he had fully healed. Without his guidance, the forces of Empyran crumbled before the Imperial Fists. They were saved only when Dorn was recalled to Terra, halting the Space Marines advance. Thinking the God-King to be dead, the Imperial Fists left the Veiled Regions, and so Empyran crumbled into diseray. With no guiding hand, they split into warring factions, each one fighting for control of the planet. Meanwhile, the God-King slept, waiting for his wounds to heal fully. Awakening When the God-King finally emerged form stasis, it was chaos. His once perfect empire had been reduced to little more than thousands of warring factions. A once sector-spanning empire reduced to this? it was pathetic, and the God-King would not let it stand. Approaching the first warband, the God-King personally slew it's warlord and took control. From their the God-King used his knowledge of gene-craft to augment the warriors under his command, making them stronger, faster, and more powerful. Soon, he had amassed an army of followers, loyal to his every whim. Soon, whispers echoed throughout the sector; the God-King of legend had returned! Armies bowed before him, warlords pledged their allegiance to him, and very soon the Empyran Sector was under his control once again. In order to solidify his rule, the God-King chose six warlords, each of them chosen for their strength, skill, and loyalty to him, and augmented them into beings akin to himself. The became his Immortals, the exarchs of the God-King, to serve and fight in his name. In honor of their ascension, the God-king named his new empire the Empyran Pantheon, and since then the Pantheon has looked to the rest of the galaxy, hoping to one day conquer all that breathes in the name of the God-King. Government The Pantheon is divided up into a rigorous caste system, enforced brutally by the edicts of the God King. Failure to comply to the set doctrines results in immediate execution or transformation into a Slave-Breed The Immortals The six warlords that make up the ruling caste of the Pantheon, the Immortals are both military and political leaders, second only to the God-King himself. While the Immortals are enhanced to the point where they may seem god-like, they are actually quite mortal. The truth behind their so called "immortality" is that each Immortal has several cloned versions of themselves, each one retaining the memories of their creator. When an Immortal dies, one of his of her clone bodies is fed all the information and memories it requires to impersonate the former, and then is brought out of stasis. In this way, the the Immortals maintain the facade of immortality. As is custom, all of the Immortals wear faceless mask-helmets, as it is forbidden to look upon the face of a "demigod' such as the immortals. To do so is a death sentence. The Immortal Houses The noble caste of the Empyran Pantheon, the Immortal Houses are the six noble families headed by the Immortals themselves, their influence and prestige rivaled only by the God-King himself. The Houses constantly plot against one another, hoping to earn more favor in the eyes of the God-King, and thus secret wars of blackmail, espionage, and sabotage are common throughout the Pantheon, as the Immortal Houses try to best one another. Each house commands it's own small army of Clone-Soldiers, as well as Gene-Breed bodyguards and even their own private staffs of Genoforgers and Armendire. 'House Thrane' Led by the infamous Immortal Charus Vul, the Sorrowmaker, House Thrane is a proud warrior House with many of it's member serving as Thiracons of the Pantheon. House Thrane is by far the most powerful of the Houses, due to it's influence over the Pantheon's military forces. They consider themselves to be the God-Kings favored servants, and they may be right considering the monumental attention House Thrane has been getting from the Lord of the Pantheon. But, House Thrane is not very subtle in it's movements, and thus has been sabotaged many times by the other Houses. 'House Ix' Led by the Immortal Diatra Rauth, the Mistress of Death, House Ix, while not the most powerful of the houses, is by far the most influential. Their reach spans the length Pantheon, and in some cases beyond, their spy networks, informants, and assassins lurking in every shadowed corner. Thus, House Ix maintains an aloof and mysterious persona, all while subtly playing the other houses against one another. Unlike some of the Immortal Houses, it is not exactly sure where they stand in terms of the God-King's favor, although it is rumored the God-King himself once personally backed House Ix. 'House Dormani' Led by the Immortal Khyvar Tasad, the Gilded Terror, House Dormani is the most religious of the Immortal Houses, with many of it's members becoming preachers and missionaries of the Armendire. House Dormani is the least concerned with the Pantheon's politics, as they mainly prefer to use their power to further the influence of the Armendire Church. Seeing themselves as crusaders of the God-Kings, House Dormani is greatly respected and feared, if only because House Dormani can rain acusations of heresy upon a person's head with a word. 'House Eltrac' Coming Soon... 'House Quordis' Coming Soon... 'House Tasadar' Coming Soon... Zulkirs The Zulkirs are the closest thing the Pantheon has to an administrative caste. The role of the Zulkir's is to rule over the Pantheon's subjugated worlds are enforce the edicts of the God-King on that world. A Zulkir has the full authority of the God-King at his back, and thus has the power to have any individuals that he finds guilty of a crime guilty, and sentance them to the most usual of the Pantheon's punishments, death. A Zulkir also has the authority to command portions of the Pantheon's military, if need be, and thus is second only to the Immortals themselves. Like most higher castes of the Pantheon, the Zulkir are biologically enhanced, and thus are surprisingly capable fighters. Like the Immortals, the Zulkir often wear masks, but this is less of a tradition and more of a sign of status. All Zulkirs report to the Grand Zulkir, who oversees the Pantheon's throneworld of Empyran. Armendire The Warrior-Priests of the Pantheon, the Armendire are responsible for spreading the faith of the God-King throughout the Galaxy, a duty they preform with great zeal. Armendire are power figures within the Pantheon, second only to the Zulkir, and make up the religious caste of the Pantheon. The Armendire are the emissaries of the God-King, and to defy them is to defy the God king himself. They maintain the great temples of the God-King and are often seen on the battlefield, delivering the holy wrath of the Pantheon upon it's enemies. The Armendire are heavily enhanced and armed with some of the most powerful weapons the Pantheon has in it's arsenal, making them formidable opponents. Most of their wargear is highly ornate in appearance, a symbol of their status. Thiracons The Thiracons are the military leaders of the Pantheon, similar to generals. Each Thiracon leads an Warhost, or army, and in responsible for the deployment and oversight of said army. In addition to that, Thiracons are fearsome foes, wielding some of the best and most advanced wargear and enhancements in the Pantheon. Due to their status, they are equal in terms of hierarchy to the Zulkir, only second to the Immortals themselves, although the Zulkir can demand their support if need be. Cenobites The Cenobites are a lesser rank within the Military, roughly the equivalent of a Captain. A Cenobite commands smaller groups within a Warhost, which in turn reports to a Thiracon. Their are usually several Cenobites per Warhost, is order to enable a flexibel command structure. While not as formidable in combat as a Thiracon, a Cenobite is a grade above the typical rank-and-file soldier, boasting advanced wargear and enhancements. Genoforger The Genoforgers are the scientist caste of the Pantheon, and a essential part of their military machine. It is their duty to create the clone-soldiers and gene-breeds that make up the Pantheon's armies, and are essential on the creation of wargear and enhancement. It is their twisted genius that keeps the Pantheon's armies functional, and thus they are considered valuable and are protected at all costs. Thus, they are rarely seen outside their laboratories, and on the rare occasion they do emerge, it is only to request new "materials" for research. Like most members of the Pantheon, Genoforgers are enhanced, but mostly only their brains have been altered, to increase memory, quicken thinking time, and raise overall intelligence. Slave-Breeds The lowest caste amongst Pantheon, Slave-Breeds are what become of those who dare defy the Pantheon. Stunted, deformed creatures, Slave-Breeds where once human or xenos, but have been modified b the Genoforgers into grotesque yet hardy creature good for physical labor and nothing else. To become a Slave-Breed is considered a fate worse then death amongst the Pantheon's subjects, and yet it is a fate that awaits many of them. Criminals, those guilty of "heresy" against the God-King, or simply captives of war, usually become Slave-Breeds if they are not executed. Slave-Breeds preform a variety of tasks, from cleaning to construction. Some are left with just enough intelligence to be servants of the Immortal Houses, and among the Pantheon it is considered to be a sign of prestige to have a Slave-Breed servant. Culture If one to ask a human citizen of the Pantheon who the God-King was, they would tell you that he is the Lord of All, Deity and King, the Conqueror of a Thousand Worlds, and many other such titles. But this is no idle praise, for the citizens of the Pantheon truly believe him to be divine. However, despite what the citizens might think, they are little more than livestock to the God-King. They are only kept for one purpose; their genomes. Citizens are taken in the dead of night, to be taken to a laboratory in which a Genoforger will painfully extract their genetic sequence to create new kind of biotechnology for the Pantheon. The unfortunate soul will then either be disposed of, or transformed into another gene-bred abomination, and all the while the citizens are oblivious. Unlike some, the Empyran Pantheon is actually quite tolerant of xenos, and has a special policy on alien races. Any xenos race that the Pantheon encounters is given a simple choice; they can either submit to the "divine" will of the God-King, or they can be exterminated. Those who submit to the will of the Pantheon are welcomed into the fold as full citizens of the Pantheon, those who resist are publicly executed or transformed into Slave-Breeds. As such, xenos citizens are more likely to be kidnapped and experimented on, for xenos genomes are quite valuable in the process of creating new Gene-Breeds and biotechnologies. Religion is the basis of the Pantheon's culture, and the Church of the Pantheon is quite the theocracy. Citizens pray daily at altars and temples of the God-King, in all His terrible glory, not as a means to avert the eyes of the Zulkirs, but simply because they know no other way of life. The Armendire send missionaries to other worlds, giving the native peoples the choice of conversion or death. Other faiths, whether worship of the Chaos Gods or the Emperor of Mankind, anre brutally stamped out and are expressively forbidden, for there is no God but the God-KIng. These brutal beliefs are the main reason the Ruinous Powers have little to no sway within the Pantheon's ranks, for those who try to convert to their worship are found and killed by the Zulkirs before they can do any damage. Technology In terms of Technology, the Pantheon is not exactly more advanced when it come to mechanics. Biotechnology is another story altogether, as the Pantheon's Genoforgers are masters of genetic alteration and creation. Millions of created life-forms make up their armies, even some of their weapons are grown, not built. Weapons Autorifle - the standard weapon used by the rank-and-file soldiers of the Pantheon. An Autorifle consists of a slug-throwing mechanism with a fully automatic rate of fire, which can be switched to semi-auto, and a standard reloading time. Autopistol - A downsized version of the typical Autorifle, and is the favored sidearm of the Pantheon's military. Spiker Gun - A Spiker Gun is a more advance rifle-like weapon, that fires small spikes of artificially hardened bone at a blisteringly fast rate. Prolonged exposure to a Spiker fire can shred a target to pieces. In addition, the bone spikes sometimes shatter, sending razor-sharp shrapnel flying everywhere. It has an efficient reload time, but since it's ammo is hard to produce in mass quantities, it is mostly used by elite units. Spiker Pistols also exist. Thunderclap Shotgun - This powerful assault weapon was originally based off of the Astartes-Pattern Shotgun, and thus has the same amount of killing power. But, the Thunderclp Shotgun also get's it's name from it's unique ammunition, which when fired at close range actually produces a miniature sonic boom, powerful enough to knock a grown man on his back, making it an excelent crowd control weapon. Barrage-Pattern Bolter - A weapon similar to a normal Bolter, a Barrage-Pattern Bolter differs from the Imperial model due to it's ridiculously fast firing rate and barrel-shaped clip, giving it nearly three times the ammunition. While powerful, this weapon suffers from a lengthy reloading time and occasional jamming issues. It is mostly used as an anti-armor weapon, as it's explosive bolts are able to chew through even tank armor in minutes. Deathblow Long Rifle - The Deathblow Rifle is a weapon prized by snipers, as it's long-rang scope and armor piercing bullets make it easy to dispatch enemies from afar. The only downside it that due to the size of the Deathblow Rifle's ammo, it mast be reloaded after every shot. Spiker Cannon - A large, rotary cannon made to be fired from the hip, a Spiker Cannon, like a Spiker Gun, shoots spikes of hardened bone at a target, shredding a target to pieces. A Spiker Cannon is a heavy support weapon, used to obliterate large groups of enemies. Hellfire Launcher - A weapon similar to a Rocket Launcher, a Hellfire Launcher shoots rockets filled with napalm-like bio-plasma, resulting in a massive of explosion burning, fiery liquid upon detonation. It was meant to be a Anti-Tank weapon originally, but can also be used for anti-infantry purposes. Hellfire Launchers are also found on Warbeasts and Vehicles. Pantheon Power Weapons - Most of the Pantheon's power weapons are similar to Imperial Models in most respects, but usually have more exotic or ornate designs. Pantheon Plasma Weapons - The Pantheon makes great use of plasma weapons, although they are typically used by more advanced or high-ranking units. Typically one out of every five of the Pantheon's soldiers wields a Plasma weapon of some kind, although it should be noted that Pantheon Plasma weapons, while having a greater killing power than Imperial models, are not very easily reloaded. Ascension-Pattern Grenade Launcher '''- This grenade launcher is capable of firing a variety of grenades incredibly long distances. Grenade types vary from the standard Frag and Krak grenades, to more exotic varieties such as Bio-Plasma or Corrosive grenades that are often used by the Pantheon's soliders. '''Deathcry Weapons - One of the Pantheon's more sinister weapons, Deathcry weapons usually take the form of large cannons mounted on vehicles or warbeasts, or assault weapons that are fired from the hip. A Deathcry weapon's main function comes from it's main component, the brain of a psyker. When activated, the brain releases a torrent of raw psychic energy, which the weapon focuses into a blast of power that can blow a hole through tank armor. Deathcry Weapons are primarily used as anti-armor weapons, but are somewhat fragile, and it's inner mechanisms can break under to much pressure. Blueflare Flamer - Almost Identical to a the model of Flamer used by the Imperium save one aspect, it's fuel. Instead of Promethium, a Blueflare flamer uses vat-produced Bio-Plasma, that burns with a sickly blue color. Bio-Augments - As common in the Pantheon as bionic augments are in the Imperium, Bio-Augments are augmentations that enhance the user's fighting ability in some way. Some augments tke the form of simple enhancements, such as greater speed or strength. Others take the form of built-in biological weapons such as retractable talons, acid-secreting glands, or bone-blades in place of limbs. The best forms of Bio-Augmentation are reserved for only the most high ranking within the Pantheon's hierarchy. Bio-Pulse Weapons '''- Close-combat weapon taking the form of swords, knives, claws, and even scythes, Bio-Pulse weapons are constructed from adimantium-hard grown bone that emit a continuous field of bio-electricity, smilar to Tyranid Boneblades, that not only create a "natural" power field around the weapon. In addition, a Bio-Pulse weapon electric field can send a living being's nervous system into shock upon contact, stunning the victim and in some cases resulting in permanent paralysis. Armor While most of the Pantheon's armor models are on par or below par to Imperial Models, most of these models are somewhat composed of vat-grown materials, and thus can be more easily mass-produced. '''Infantry-Pattern Armor - The typical variety of armor worn by the Pantheon's Clone-Soldiers, Pantheon Infantry Armor is almost identical to Imperial Flak armor accept that it includes a full-face helmet. Clone-Soldiers often decorate their armor with symbols, trophies, and other fetishes to express their "individuality". Typically worn by the Infantry Breed of Clone-Soldier. Breaker-Pattern Armor '- A heavier and bulkier version of typical Infantry armor that offers significantly more protection. It should be noted however that Pantheon Assault armor is actually composed of vat-grown hardened bone with a core of plasteel, making it slightly more lightweight then the Imperial Carapace Armor. Typically worn by the Breaker Breed of Clone-Soldier. '''Chimera-Pattern Power Armor '- A fairly standard set of power armor similar to the standard Imperial Model. The Chimera-Pattern is by far the most widely used model of power armor throughout the Pantheon, and is prized for it's versatility in combat, but does differ from the Imperial Model in one aspect. Many weapons are built in to the armor itself instead of wielded by he wearer, and thus no two sets of Chimera-Pattern armor are alike. 'Goliath-Pattern Power Armor '- This massive suit of power armor turns the wearer into a walking arms platform, equipped with arsenal of heavy weaponry. Consisting of a large bio-mechanical harness in which a pilot controls the rest of the armor's systems, and four powerful mechanical limbs, which can be equiped with a variety of weapons, from powerful Deathcry Blasters to flesh-shredding Spiker Cannons. While boasting heavy armor and the ability to wield up to four weapons at once, Goliath Power Armor is rather slow, and does not have the best of reaction times. '''Valkyrie-Pattern Power Armor - This suit of Power Armor main feature is the massive pair of bio-mechanical wings grafted to this relatively lightweight set of armor. These wings interface with the user's muscles and nervous system, and coupled with an powerful jet pack, allows the wearer to fly at an incredible speed. Being lightweight and flexible, Valkyrie Armor is perfect for fast attack and reconnaissance. Bio-Armor '- The most advanced and highly sought-after armor the Pantheon can create, Bio-Armor is a miracle of gene-shaping and celluar reconstruction, a completely living suit of armor. Implanted directly into the wearer's skin, Bio-Armor interfaces with the user's brain and nervous system, hardening it's diamond-hard bone plating in response to attacks and even repairing itself almost instantly when damaged, all while being as lightweight and flexible as a second skin. Only the high-ranking members of the Pantheon are permited to wear such armor, such as Thiracons, Armendire, and the Immortals themselves. Typicaly a suit of Bio-Armor is custom made for the wearer, created exactly for his or her unique biometrics, thus only they can wear that particular suit of armor. Vehicles (MORE TO FOLLOW) Military Clone-Soldiers The backbone of the Pantheon's military, Clone-Soldiers are the numerous, fanatical warriors that fight under the God-King. Much like the Imperial Guard, the Clone-Soldiers are an expendable fighting force, grown by the thousands in the Pantheon's genolabs, made to fight from the moment the are created. While technically human, Clone-Soldiers differentiate from baseline humans in several ways. First of all, Clone-Soldiers are born with pale, hairless skin, a side effect of the cloning process. Second, Clone-Soldiers cannot feel fear, as the part of brains that responds to that emotion is lobotomized through genetic manipulation. '''Instead, they are conditioned from birth '''to be loyal to their Pantheon and God-King, and thus are completely obedient to their masters, A Clone-Soldier would even kill himself at his master's command. Clone-Soldiers are grown in massive genolabs, born as embryos in tanks of nutrient-rich fluid. They reach maturity in just a few short years, allowing the Pantheon to mass-produce thousands of them. Clone-Soldier Breeds In order to maintain overall tactical flexibility, Clone-Soldiers are bred for different roles on the battlefield. The Breeds are such: 'Infantry Breed The most common of the Clone-Soldier Breeds, the Infantry Breed makes up the bulk of the Pantheon's Warhosts. Typicaly Infantry Breeds are equiped with standard Infantry-Pattern Armor, an Autorifle and backup Autopistol, and perhaps a Combat Knife. 'Breaker Breed' The Breaker Breed was created for the sole purpose of heavy support, and thus Breaker Breed Clone-Soldiers are noticably taller and more muscular than their counterparts, bred to be stronger and tougher than the norm. Rank-and-file Breaker Breeds are typicaly equiped with durable Breaker-Pattern Armor, weilding powerful Spiker Cannons or Hellfire Launchers, and even the rare Deathcry Weapon. 'Recon Breed' 'Reaver Breed' 'Technician Breed' 'Pilot Breed' Gene-Breeds The Gene-Breeds are the Pantheon's beasts of war, genetically altered monsters with the sole purpose of destroying the God-King's enemies. Gene-Breeds come in many types and forms, all of them deadly. However, do to the warp-tainted genius of the Genoforgers, new kinds of Gene-Breeds are being developed all the time, making these monsters varied and numerous. 'Marrow Fiends' One of the most feared of the Pantheon's Gene-Breeds, a Marrow Fiend stands as tall a Space Marine, with red, pupiless eyes and ash grey skin. Physically, they are powerful, just as strong as an Astartes, but twice as tough, with skin able to resist Las-fire and slug rounds easily. But, a Marrow Fiend's true power is their ability to grow bone spikes and even weapons composed from it's own diamond-hard skeleton. This ability is what grants the Marrow Fiend it's namesake, as it is a walking arsenal, able to "grow" swords, daggers, and spikes of bone, out of their skin. Marrow Fiends are created life-forms, born and raised in a way similar to a Clone-Soldier. However, it is during this incubation process that their bodies are augmented with with an organ similar to a Space Marine's Ossmodula, which grows it's skeleton to massive proportions and gives it it's diamond-like hardness. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of time it takes to grow a Marrow Fiend means that they are not exactly numerous. On the battlefield, Marrow Fiends are typically encountered alone or in small packs, used as shock troops to decimate enemy forces. Marrow Fiends rarely wear armor, as to bring their "natural" weapons to bear. While many have assumed that Marrow Fiends are dumb brutes, they are actually quite smart, and those who underestimate their intelligence have often found themselves on the wrong end of a Marrow Fiend's bone-blade. 'Leeches' Leeches resemble starved humans, with stick-like limbs and gaunt forms, looking anything but dangerous. But, Leeches are by far deadly, for while they might resemble humans, a Leech's palms are covered in tiny needles, that upon sinking into a victim, drain the water from his cells, leaving him a shriveled corpse. Leeches are literally water vampires, consumed by an all encompassing thirst that can never truly be sated. Leeches begin life as normal humans, but are captured and transformed within the Pantheon's genolabs. Their cells are modified to survive just barely on the barest amount of water, forcing a Leech to drain water constantly or die. Their bodies are also augmented, making them stronger and much faster than normal humans. As a result, a Leech is born, ready to drain thousands of poor souls dry. Leeches lope across the battlefield at high speeds, searching for prey. They typically wear light body armor, as not to inhibit their movements to much, and carry Spiker Guns. They mostly prefer to close in for the kill, grabbing a victim and sucking the moisture from his body, but will kill at range if they have to. Leeches primarily serve as a sort of elite Fast Attack unit. 'Shatterswarms' A Shatterswarm resembles a vaguely man-shaped mass of strange, centipede-like insects, slowly crawling over each other and reforming it's human-shaped body. While at first these strange creatures seem somewhat harmless, anything could be farther from the truth, for when a Shatterswarm is attacks it's prey, the insects that make up it's body explode outwards, latching on to all those nearby. From there, the insects use their razor-sharp legs and acidic mandibles to burrow into their target's flesh, killing them form the inside out, a truly horrifying way to die. The creation of Shatterswarms is a long and complex process, involving the creation of an artificially bred "host" that will serve as the Shatterswarm's mind. The host is then eaten alive by a swarm of gene-bred insects known as Swarmlings. When the Swarlings have fully devoured their host, a tiny piece of the host's conciousness is imprinted in each of the Swarmling's minds, making the Shatterswarm fully sentient. This also has the added benefit of making a Shatterswarm exetemely hard to kill, for as long as one Swarmling survives, the Shatterswarm survives. Shatterswarms come in many varieties, from small Swarms used to infiltrate enemy strongholds to Megaswarms the size of a Baneblade. They are deployed as a means to terrorize the enemy, spreading panic and confusion within their ranks, in preparation for the Pantheon's main assault. But Shatterswarms cannot be easily mass-produced, and so they are rarely seen in large numbers. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Military Hierarchy The ranks of the Pantheon's military forces are listed below, in order of highest to lowest: *'Immortal '- The leaders of the Immortal Houses and Demigods of the God King. Even the Thiracons bow before them. *'Thiracon '- The leaders of Pantheon's Warhosts, similar to generals. Also has complete control over his Warhost's gene-breeds. Thiracons are natural-born humans who belong to a specific Immortal House. *'Cenobite '- The rank below Thiracon, who command smaller groups of the Warhost, known as Divisions. Also in charge of commanding the Division's cadre of gene-breeds. Cenobites are natural-born humans. *'Archiir '- (pernouced AR-keer) The rank below Cenobite, commanding a small part of the Divison known as the Subdivision. Archiir are typicaly Clone-Soldiers. *'Neophor '- Commands a squad of rank-and-file Clone-Soldiers. Neophor are typicaly Clone-Soldiers. Notable Individuals The God-King The God-King is the supreme ruler of the Empyran Pantheon, the founder of the Sectors-spanning empire, the God to whom million of souls pray too. He is both Deity and King of the Pantheon, and he rules as such, for his words are law, and to stand against him is to stand against a true God. But in truth, the God-King is not a God, he is a monster. While he is ageless, unable to die of age, he is far from perfect. The God-King's mind is damaged, delusional, stuck fast in the fantasy of immortality, and this madness is slowly consuming him. With every day that passes, the warp corrupted science that created him is slowly unmaking him, and it effects more than his mind. The God-King was engineered to be perfect, stronger, faster, tougher than any other human being, or any other enhanced being for that matter, and thus has devastated entire battalions of enemies single-handedly. His intellect and cunning are on level with some of the greatest minds of this age, and he is immune to all poisons and diseases within the galaxy, as well as having the ability to regenerate at an incredible rate. But now his once perfect body is beginning to fall apart of the seams, and the symptoms are affecting more than his mind. Early on, the God-King discovered he had the ability to morphy his body, changing his limbs into mutated claws, blades, and tentacles. But every time he uses this abillity, the change becomes harder to control, and thus he uses this abillity sparingly, fearing that the transformations might overtake him. The God-King wears ornate Bio-Armor, custom-made by the Pantheon's most skilled Genoforgers to his exact specifications, and thus is stronger than any other model wihtin the Pantheon. He typically wields a pair of Bio-Pulse swords, titled'' the ''Godblades, which are often the only weapons he needs to devastate a foe, due to his great strength and skill. No one has actually seen the God-King's face, for it is forbbiden even for his Immortals to look upon his "holy" visage, and is always seen wearing his faceless helmet-mask, which doubles as a crown. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Relations 'Feel free to add your own faction! ' Kabal of The Skewering Feather Ever since the rebirth of the Empyran Pantheon the Kabal of the Skewering Feather has haunted and stalked the Pantheon's borders, in many succesful attempts to raid and pillage their worlds. With their abundance of people, the Empyran Pantheon can be considered an all you can eat buffet, and the Skewering Feather is taking it's place at the start of the line. White Crusaders The White Crusaders hearing stories of the Rebirth of Empyran Pantheon quickly decided it should be them to finish what their father chapters started, also to find a chapter relic of their founding chapter the Black Templars. Their main reason is to keep up their never ending crusade. But they have had to fight the other enemies of the Empyran Pantheon the Kabal of Skewering feather, and the Calipsian Hordes. Notable Conflicts The 1st Empyran Crusade The 1st Empyran Crusade was the first time the newly-formed Pantheon would bring it's full military might upon the Imperium, and by far one of it's bloodiest conflicts (or by their definition, glorious). The God-King, having successfully re-captured all of the Empyran Sector, and solidified his rule upon the Pantheon, authorized the creation of one of the massive army, led by none other than the Immortal Charus Vul, the Sorrowmaker. Commanding a force of no less than five Warhosts of Clone-Soldiers and battalions of various Gene-Breeds. This enormous force set upon the Volcayn Sub-Sector, the closest Imperial-controlled sector of space to the Veiled Regions, with the full intent of razing every world they set upon. The Pantheon's first attack was swift and brutal, warfleets appearing in the skies of Olnac and Balton's Reach, a pair of prosperous Hive Worlds, as well as several other planets within the Sub-Sector, including Tresonis; an Agri-World, and Archeron; a Fortress World. Taken by complete surprise, the Imperial PDFs stationed in that area fell quickly, with the exception of Archeron, who held out against the Pantheon's vat-bred siege beasts long enough to send a distress signal, which was answered with all due haste. Several Regiments of Imperial Guard were mobilized to combat this new threat, but they weren't the only ones who answered the call. Forces of several Space Marine Chapters, including elements of the Imperial Fists and their successor chapter the White Crusaders, along with The Emperor's Sentinels 5th company, who were currently stationed in Acheron. The following Sub-sector wide battle was chaotic at best, starting in full swing when the Imperial Guard fought against the Pantheon's Clone-Armies on Tresonis, which had become a battlefield. The White Crusaders broke off from the main Imperial force to attack the now-subjugated world of Baltor's Reach, and the Imperial Fists, the Pantheon's oldest foe, met Charus Vul's personal Warhost on the plains of Olnac. The stalemate between the forces was broken when Emperor's Sentinel's, aided by the Imperial Guard, pushed the Pantheon off of Archeron, backing up the Imperial Fists on Olnac, and together their combined strength defeated the Pantheon's forces. Charus Vul was killed in battle, to be "reborn" in the depths of the God-Kings place, but without his leadership the Pantheon's forces crumbled. The White Crusaders obliterated the Warhost on Baltor's Reach, freeing the Hive World from the Pantheon's rule, and thus the Pantheon was routed, retreating back into the Veiled Regions. However, the Pantheon still retains a foothold on Tresonis, and fights against the Astartes of the White Crusaders even now. (MORE TO COME) Quotes About (feel free to add your own) Category:40kfan Category:Empires